My mom is waiting for treatment, and you're summoning me to be a hero?

The city gate of Mingbei City was several times more bustling than that of Gumu City.

Besides the dusty caravans, there were many more adventurers with various equipment.

They mostly gathered in front of a huge notice board inside the city gate.

The parchment was covered with various colored sheets of paper, which were official or private bounties and commissions.

A cacophony of voices reached Lin Mo's ears:

"Have you heard? The village to the north was attacked by monsters again this year, and many people died."

"That's right, my hometown isn't far from there. Luckily, I saved enough money at the beginning of the year to move to the city..."

"I heard that this matter has been reported to the Hero Association, and I estimate that many heroes will be coming to Mingbei City soon."

"Tch, those idiots are just lucky to be summoned; their combat experience might not even be as rich as mine."

"Hmph, I'm afraid they're just here to make a show of things, gain fame, eat and drink for free, and then we'll still have to pay the taxes..."

"Let's keep quiet for a bit..."

……

Lin Mo listened to the discussions expressionlessly, without pausing in his tracks.

Heroes, adventurers, monsters, bounties...

These were all just background noise to him.

He walked through the crowd and straight into the bustling streets inside the city gate.

Yin Xue's voice rang out from his collar, carrying a hint of instigation.

"How's it going? Mingbei City's lively enough, isn't it! How about I show you around? Like the casinos, I guarantee you'll make a fortune!"

Lin Mo ignored her.

He doesn't have the time or inclination for that right now.

The level has reached 20.

Although he hasn't yet absorbed the essence and broken through the bottleneck, Yin Xue already has the ability to see the original world again.

The most urgent task is to confirm the mother's condition.

He walked down the street, his eyes quickly scanning both sides.

They quickly identified a small, unassuming tavern with a faded wooden wine glass sign hanging at the entrance.

Oak Barrel Tavern.

Such places have a mixed population but high mobility, making them less likely to attract attention.

Pushing open the creaking wooden door, the light inside the tavern was much dimmer than outside.

It was midday, and only a few guests were scattered around, talking in hushed tones or dozing off by themselves.

The air was filled with the smells of beer, food, and stale wood.

As soon as Lin Mo walked in, before he could even take in his surroundings, a figure approached him enthusiastically.

This is a man who looks to be around thirty years old.

He was dressed in simple, coarse cloth clothes, with a gentle smile on his face, and a red, swollen patch on his forehead.

Most striking was the exquisitely crafted wooden puppet he was holding, dressed in tiny clothes.

The man looked at Lin Mo with shining eyes.

"Are you a hero!? Could you... tell me about the world of heroes? I'm really curious!"

Lin Mo frowned but didn't say anything.

Behind the counter, the bald boss, who was wiping wine glasses, spoke with some impatience.

"How many times have I told you? Why would a hero like you come to a small tavern like mine? If you want to see the hero, why don't you go to the city lord's mansion and stay there? You can also ask him how much it costs per night."

The owner's words drew low laughter from the other customers in the tavern.

The man called Otmu's enthusiastic smile froze for a moment, and he looked somewhat disappointed.

He scratched his head, turned to Lin Mo, and smiled apologetically.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bother you. I just... really wanted to know more about the hero. My name is Ultramu, I'm a traveling puppeteer, and I'm staying at this shop for the time being."

Lin Mo simply nodded slightly.

That was my reaction to his self-introduction; I didn't say anything more.

Lin Mo then went straight to the counter and said to the owner, "One room, something quiet. I'll stay for a few days."

The boss looked up and glanced at Lin Mo.

He glanced again at the black sword behind him and the aura of someone who wanted to keep strangers away.

Without asking any further questions, he pulled a brass key from under the counter: "The innermost room on the second floor. Five silver coins a day, including breakfast."

Lin Mo paid the money, picked up the key, and turned to walk towards the stairs.

He didn't look at Otem once more throughout the entire process.

Otem didn't mind and sat back down in his corner with the puppet in his arms.

His fingers unconsciously fiddled with the puppet's joints, and he began to mutter to himself.

……

The room on the second floor was a bit simple, but it was much better than the one in Gumu City.

Moreover, the window faces the back alley, which is indeed quiet.

Lin Mo closed the door and immediately said, "Can we begin now?"

Yin Xue emerged from his collar, flapped its tiny wings, and flew around the room once.

He looked around and said, "Hmm, the place is alright, secluded enough."

As she spoke, she flew to the window and looked out through the somewhat blurry glass.

At the end of the street, you can see a tall, solemn gray-white building, its spire reflecting a cold light in the sunlight.

"This is……"

Yin Xue's eyes lit up, and he pointed at the building with his little paw, "That's the cathedral of Mingbei City. My other fragment of soul is sealed inside."

As she spoke, she turned her head and looked at Lin Mo with a mocking smile on her face.

"Hey, you specifically chose this room, did you notice the church beforehand? Did you choose it for me? I didn't expect you to be so thoughtful, I'm a little touched."

Lin Mo's face was expressionless, only showing impatience: "Hurry up and start. As long as you can help me see the original world, I will help you retrieve the soul fragments."

Yin Xue pouted, flapped her wings, and flew back to the center of the room: "I know, I know, you're like a death knell."

She dropped her joking expression and gestured with her small hand in front of her.

Dark red magic flowed from her fingertips, quickly outlining and condensing in the air.

This forms a complex circular magic array with a diameter of about one meter.

The runes at the center of the magic circle flickered, emitting a faint red light and unstable spatial fluctuations.

Yin Xue flapped its wings and flew to the very center of the magic circle. It sat down cross-legged, its small body enveloped in dark red light.

Listen,

She looked at Lin Mo, her tone unusually serious.

"Next, I need to concentrate all my energy to trace back the spatial traces left when I summoned you. This process cannot be interrupted and will take about ten hours. During this time, you must ensure my safety and prevent anyone or anything from disturbing me."

Lin Mo nodded and gripped the hilt of the black sword.

His sharp gaze swept across the door and windows: "No problem. Just do your thing."

Yin Xue said no more and slowly closed his eyes.

The dark red light around her intensified.

The patterns on the magic circle also began to rotate slowly.

A mysterious and obscure energy emanated from her.

It gradually filled the entire room.

Lin Mo spread his senses out and even commanded his mirror clones to hide around the tavern.

After making sure no one was making any noise, he looked out the window.

A huge clock on the roof of the church is ticking.

It's around 13 PM now.

12 hours?

See you tomorrow, Mom.